My Top 10 PS5 Fantasy Game Journeys: From Skyrim to Baldur's Gate 3

As I boot up my PS5 controller in 2025, I can't help but marvel at how far fantasy gaming has come since those early Dragon's Lair days. That magical feeling of stepping into another world? It's never been more visceral than on modern hardware. Today I'm revisiting ten fantasy masterpieces that didn't just entertain me - they reshaped my imagination and left permanent emotional footprints. Each one taught me something profound about escapism, storytelling, and why we chase dragons in digital realms. 😌

🔟 10. Skyrim - When Open Worlds Felt Truly Alive

Okay, I know Bethesda gets flak nowadays, but loading up Skyrim still gives me chills like stepping into actual frostbite air. That first dragon attack at Helgen? Pure magic that no game has replicated for me. Even now, I catch myself humming Dragonborn while doing chores! Though the combat feels dated, wandering through those pine forests at sunset with Jeremy Soule's soundtrack? That's timeless. Makes me wonder - why do newer open worlds feel so... sanitized compared to this rough-around-the-edges masterpiece?

9️⃣ 9. Dragon's Dogma 2 - Unscripted Adventure Perfected

Capcom absolutely nailed that "anything can happen" feeling here. I'll never forget when my entire party got swept off a cliff by a griffin during a thunderstorm - pure emergent chaos! Though those microtransactions stung worse than a goblin spear ⚔️, the core gameplay? Chef's kiss. That moment when your pawns actually remember solutions from previous playthroughs? Mind-blowing. Makes me question - when did RPGs stop trusting players to create their own stories instead of following dotted lines?

8️⃣ 8. God of War (2018) - Where Gods Bleed Emotion

Santa Monica Studios rewrote the rulebook here. I went in expecting monster-smashing, not ugly-crying over a grieving father and son! That boat scene where Mimir tells stories while snowflakes dust the water? Pure poetry. The axe-throw mechanic felt so satisfyingly weighty - I'd catch myself physically leaning into throws. And that single-take camera? Immersion on steroids. Makes me reflect - why do so many AAA games forget that spectacle means nothing without heart?

7️⃣ 7. Dragon Age Inquisition - BioWare's Last True Triumph

Oh, how my heart aches knowing what came after this! The political intrigue, the companions who felt like family - I still miss Iron Bull's war stories around Skyhold's fireplace. That moment when Corypheus shatters the sky? Goosebumps every time. Though the sidequests dragged, the character writing remains unmatched. Dorian's personal quest had me sobbing into my Qunari warrior's shoulder. Seriously, when did RPGs stop letting us hug our pixelated friends when they're hurting? 😢

6️⃣ 6. The Witcher 3 - Still the Gold Standard

Even in 2025, discovering Velen's war-torn villages still punches me in the gut. That Bloody Baron questline? More emotionally complex than most Oscar films. I spent actual weeks in Gwent tournaments instead of hunting monsters - no regrets! That haunting soundtrack still plays in my dreams. Yet what truly stunned me was how CDPR made moral ambiguity FUN. Remember choosing between plague orphans and a murderer? Modern devs could learn volumes about nuance from this masterpiece.

5️⃣ 5. Disco Elysium - An Oil-Painted Mind Trip

ZA/UM didn't just make a game - they bottled existential crisis in pixel form. That first morning trying to remember who I was while talking to my necktie? Pure genius. I've never felt so seen by a game's dialogue system - especially when my own logic started arguing with my emotions! The political depth felt dangerously relevant too. Makes me ponder: when did games stop challenging our worldviews instead of just our reflexes?

4️⃣ 4. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth - Nostalgia Reinvented

Square Enix performed actual magic here. That moment when Aerith's theme swelled during the Gold Saucer date? Waterworks. The combat system perfected action-RPG hybrid mechanics - I spent hours just mastering Tifa's combos! And those environmental designs? Gaia's grasslands on PS5 still take my breath away. Proves that remakes shouldn't just replicate - they should reimagine what made us fall in love originally.

3️⃣ 3. Elden Ring - Painfully Beautiful Mastery

FromSoftware created a world so immersive I forgot to eat for 12 hours straight. That first elevator down to Siofra River? Jaw-on-floor moment. The lore had me compiling fan theories like a mad scholar. Though I broke a controller on Malenia (worth it), the triumph of finally beating her? Better than any drug. Proves that difficulty without purpose is torture, but difficulty with meaning? That's art.

2️⃣ 2. Divinity Original Sin 2 - Tactical Genius Unleashed

Larian made me believe in magic again with this gem. That insane freedom - like teleporting an enemy into lava while raining blood? Chef's kiss. The origin stories felt so personal - Lohse's internal demon battle legit gave me nightmares! And the couch co-op? My partner and I still quote Fane's sarcastic quips at dinner. Makes me wonder: when did RPGs stop trusting players to break systems creatively?

1️⃣ 1. Baldur's Gate 3 - The New Fantasy Benchmark

Where do I even begin? This game consumed 300 hours of my life and I regret nothing. That first playthrough where I accidentally romanced Gale by feeding him magic items? Priceless. The companions feel more human than my neighbors - Astarion's trauma arc destroyed me. What blew my mind? How choices ACTUALLY matter across acts. That dark urge playthrough? Terrifyingly brilliant. Sets a new standard where every NPC, every book, every discarded note feels intentionally alive. 🏆

After this journey through gaming's fantasy pantheon, I'm left with burning questions: What makes these worlds stick in our souls while others fade? Is it the lore depth? Emotional honesty? Player agency? And as AI advances, will we see more or less of this human-crafted magic? Personally, I'll keep chasing that dragon - that indescribable moment when pixels become portals to places that feel more real than reality. What about you? Which fantasy world permanently altered your reality?